Furkan Korkmaz Happy to See Former 76er Markelle Fultz Thriving

There aren’t too many players left on the Philadelphia 76ers that played alongside the organization’s former first-overall pick, Markelle Fultz. When the Sixers snagged the former Washington product in the 2017 NBA Draft, he was set to join a young star group containing Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

At this point, Embiid remains the only member left in Philly from that group, and Furkan Korkmaz and Shake Milton are the only reserves still around that shared the roster with Fultz. During Fultz’s second and final season with the Sixers, Milton was a rookie second-round pick that split time between the main roster and the G League.

Meanwhile, Korkmaz joined the Sixers the same season as Fultz. Together, they played 18 games on the Sixers before Fultz was moved to the Orlando Magic in February of 2019.

Shockingly, Monday night’s game against the Magic marked the first time Fultz played in Philadelphia since the trade. As he dealt with injuries that kept him off the court for long periods of time throughout his first three years in Orlando, it took a while before Fultz could play on the Wells Fargo Center court once again.

“I think he went through a lot of stuff,” Korkmaz said after Monday’s game. “Mentally, physically. For a player, it’s not easy to come back strong from that, so I think he did it. It’s good to see him playing so well, especially tonight. I think he really, really played well defensively and offensively. He set the tone for them. He gave them a lot of energy, and then they got the win.”

Fultz’s return to Philadelphia must’ve been a memorable one for the young veteran. While he didn’t receive the warmest of welcomes from the Philadelphia crowd, Fultz embraced the environment and produced 12 points, ten assists, and four steals in the Magic’s upset win over the Sixers.

Knowing everything about what Fultz went through during his short time in Philadelphia, Korkmaz mentioned that the former first pick “deserves” his current success and even “deserves better.” While Fultz was slapped with the NBA’s bust label during his quick time in Philadelphia, Korkmaz isn’t shocked to see the young guard’s emergence over the last few years.

“I’m not surprised,” Korkmaz finished. “He’s like first-pick, of course. There’s a reason we had him because he was our first pick. He’s just showing it. I think he has more of a way to go, he has more potential than he’s showing right now. I’m happy to see that.”

Fultz will face the Sixers for the final time this season on Wednesday. Once again, he’ll face the South Philly crowd as Orlando hopes to build on their recent success.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.